101 fast recipes for grilling - in my ideal world, I wouldn't cook inside till October or so!

Hear ye, year ye: the new issue of Polis, published in part by my wonderful friend from college Zac, is out and ready to be ordered.

Check out Dynamic Diaspora: Women and Immigration.

Image: source.

The Storque, aka the Etsy blog, has a piece on traditional crafts of Alaska's Native people.

Community colleges forced to cut back, right when they are needed most.

A sweet performance by The Tallest Man on Earth.

Two articles on LGBT youth: LGBT Youth Face High Rates of Homelessness and Incarceration. and ‘I Was Scared to Sleep’: LGBT Youth Face Violence Behind Bars.

"Art when really understood is the province of every human being. It is simple a question of doing things, anything, well. It is not an outside, extra thing." - Robert Henri (The Art Spirit, 1923)

Image: source.

The story of how harsh new immigration laws in Arizona have affected one family.

From Inmate to Lawyer—to Judge? Former Prisoner Might Be Appointed to the Massachusetts Bench.

Image: source. To all my big and true hearted ladies.

Gorgeous and detailed doodles on Post-It Notes...

More on the importance of women asking for raises....do it, ladies! Get what you deserve!

Do law schools have the duty, and the ability, to produce happier and healthier lawyers? I'd like to think so, however, I also recognize that law school is first and foremost a training program, and most of the efforts I've read about to address the health and sanity of law students don't seem effective. That said, I firmly believe that my law school's choice not to have letter grades or class rankings contributed to a less-unhealthy, less-crazy environment than many law schools. Additionally, the focus on practice, as opposed to theory (through the clinics and co-op program), gave everyone the chance to figure out what kind of lawyer they wanted to be (both in terms of ethics and practice area), as well as a break from the self-esteem-crushing coursework of law school....go NUSL!

Interesting short essay about the pro-choice movement - are we too nice?

Married couples who live apart. I'm so intrigued by this idea. I love the idea of having my own space, while still living a life with a partner. Ideally two or three little buildings on the same plot of land... (I can dream!)

Cul-de-sacs are making us fat.

Image: source.

The NYTimes profiles the author of one of my favorite books ("Cloud Atlas"), David Mitchell.

Jeff Tweedy covers "Single Ladies."

Another one of my favorite authors, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Even in my crabbiest and darkest moods, a little Sherlock Holmes hits the spot.

“Self-knowledge is no guarantee of happiness, but it is on the side of happiness and can supply the courage to fight for it." - Simone de Beauvoir

Usually true.

Image: source.

A Cooosssby Sweater!

One of my favorite movies ever, High Fidelity, is available for free on Hulu until mid-July! ("What came first - the music or the misery?")

I love both Star Trek and "Tik Tok" so, yeah, I enjoy this.

A step in the right direction. "President Obama will soon allow gay and lesbian employees to qualify for leave to care for the child of a partner."

Image: source.

I like this collection of photos of school lunches from around the world.

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face; You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Yay Oregon, and yay Oregon coast!

The Incredible Disappearing and Reappearing Rikers Island.

“that aching feeling that we walk around with, that we try to fill with food and sex.. and business, drugs and whatever.. is.. our homesickness.. for ourselves.” source.

Sorry I've been MIA - lots of life changes, as well as spotty wireless! But needless to say, I have been living both parts of this quote - the uncertainty and the dedication....More to come. (Thanks to PC for the pic!)

My life has changed a ridiculous amount in the last 24 hours. Yesterday, I was driving around the outskirts of Boston with my wonderful boyfriend - today, I am starting the process of planning a move back to the small town in Oregon where I am from. How did so much change? A combination of luck, coincidence, and, I'm hoping, some sort of fate.

Long story short, after a way in the woods and swimming in Walden Pond, I was missing the small town life. I wrote a friend from high school who I knew was practicing immigration law in the Rogue Valley, asking about job prospects. He told me of a local Legal Services opening. I applied. They offered me the job 24 hours later.

It is admittedly one of the craziest decisions I've ever made. My first day of work as an attorney is less than 3 weeks and over 2000 miles away. And yet in some ways, the decision makes sense - I have wanted to move back west, to be closer to my parents, and this is the work I have always wanted to do.

My boyfriend, Adam, is wonderful enough to be embarking on a cross-country road trip with me, and is even considering a permanent move to the best coast. Who knows what adventures are in store for each of us.

In making this huge decision, I asked a lot of people in my life - how do you know what the right decision is? How do you know the difference between fear of change and challenge and legitimate doubt? Hearing everyones answers was amazing, and I hope to do more thinking and writing on the topic of change and trusting your instincts soon.

Till then - I've got a lot of packing and planning to do!

(Image: source)

Image: source.

Image: source.

Image: source.

A little girl rocks some daily affirmations. “I like my hair cuts! I like my pajamas! I like my stuff! I can do anything good!”

Great/interesting short piece: "I'm A Criminal And So Are You."

Image: "You're A Winner" - sometimes it's hard to believe, but Gemma Correll makes it seem almost true.

Yelp Yack: a waitress illustrates "smug" Yelp reviewers. Pretty funny.

My mom has a fold-out sewing box sort of like this, which makes me particularly fond of this post.

Love this idea of a popsicle bar - so perfect for summer.

Being the stylist for J. Crew shoots in fancy locales? Maybe the best job ever.

In case I needed yet another reason to love Mindy Kaling, she's giddy over Robert Downey Jr., just like me....

A tour of street vendors in Portland, OR - I love that city! And here's a list of some other great spots in Portland.

OK, OK, I'll give some love to my current city too - a walking map of Boston (albeit a pretty small chunk of Boston).

Images.

Image: source.

Good News

I just realized that, somehow, I forgot to tell all you wonderful people out there in blogland that I passed the Massachusetts Bar Exam! I found out a few weeks ago and, especially since it was my second time taking the exam, I could not have been more ecstatic at the news!

Unfortunately, the thrill has dampened somewhat, as I'm still on the market for a job and, as we all know, it's rough out there....but I'm trying to hold on to the sense of pride and accomplishment I felt when I first found out. Why is it so easy to cling to failure and disappointment and seemingly so much harder to retain that sense of joy and self-satisfaction of achievement?

Image: artwork by Lena Wolff.

Image: source.

A dad's blog of the crafts he makes for his kids - so wonderful! And on that note, "5 minute marvels encourages kids & parents to draw a little every day"

How to make the NYTimes "most e-mailed" list - the intersection of "awe-inspiring," "emotional," "positive, " and "surprising"

I love this photo of a boy on the way home from a chess tournament - great pic, great story.

Image: source.

While I admit that I'm a fan of the TV show, I totally loved this article: Why I (Really, Seriously, Truly) Hate Carrie Bradshaw.

"Righteous open-letter rant from mom of a gay boy in a small town"

I'm head over heels in love with this animated short of a StoryCorps interview between a mom and a son. I love the honesty, the humor, and the love. Absolutely beautiful.

Ranunculas! Maybe my favorite flower....

Prison Law Blog summarizes and comments on recent important SCOTUS decisions.

Image: source.

The 10 Commandments of Pop Culture Feminism. Interesting.

Image: source. LOVE THIS!

The NYTimes on women, wages, and raises. One of my goals is to learn to better negotiate - salary, benefits, and generally.

"More Mentally Ill Persons Are in Jails and Prisons Than Hospitals"

“Resign yourself to the lifelong sadness that comes from never being satisfied.” - Zadie Smith

"it is extrodinary how fast the earth rebuilds itself after a harsh winter. in just the first few days of spring sprouts poke their heads upthrough the snow-wet soil. it is extrodinary how fast we rebuild ourselves after we feel the most lost/empty/hurt. in just a few days/months/moons we begin to once again lift our chins towards the sky. burst & bloom." Source.